What You Can Do Today

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What should I ask my doctor?

People with cancer often feel more confident about their treatment when
they understand what's happening and what to expect. Your doctor is always
your single most important source of information. Feel free to ask your
doctor, nurse, or other specialists about any concerns you have. Please
don't hesitate to ask them to explain anything you don't understand, especially
if it sounds too technical. Your medical team will respect your desire to
take an active interest in your own care.

It helps to prepare questions ahead of time and to take notes when you speak
with your doctors. You might consider asking a friend or family member to
come along to help you remember everything the doctor says. You might even
ask if it's okay to use a tape recorder.

To further stimulate discussion with your medical team, why not print out
pages from this Web site that contain issues you'd like to discuss. Bring a
copy for yourself and the doctor to your next appointment.

You might want to consider asking:

What type of cancer do I have?

What stage is it in? What does that mean to my possible treatment
outcome?

What are my treatment options?

What are the benefits of my different treatment options?

Which treatment do you recommend? Why?

Are these treatments likely to cure my cancer, or to stop it from
growing or spreading?

How successful has this treatment been in the past?

How will my treatment be given? How often? Where?

Is it important to get my chemotherapy treatment on schedule?
What can be done to make sure this happens?

How will you know that my treatment is working?

What side effects can I expect? What can I do to help manage them?

What kind of lab tests will I need?

Will I need to be in the hospital? Why?

How long will I need to be treated?

Can my treatment be scheduled around dates on the calendar that are important to me?

Are there symptoms I should call you about right away? Who should I call?

Jan 16, 2015 - Fewer U.S. colorectal cancer patients who are diagnosed in the final stages of their disease are having what can often be unnecessary surgery to have the primary tumor removed, researchers report. These patients are also living longer even as the surgery becomes less common, although their general prognosis is not good, according to the study published online Jan. 14 in JAMA Surgery.